We propose a novel formalism, called Frame Logic (abbr., F-logic), that accounts in a clean and declarative fashion for most of the structural aspects of object-oriented and frame-based languages. These features include object identity, complex objects, inheritance, polymorphic types, query methods, encapsulation, and others. In a sense, F-logic stands in the same relationship to the objectoriented paradigm as classical predicate calculus stands to relational programming. F-logic has a model-theoretic semantics and a sound and complete resolution-based proof theory. A small number of fundamental concepts that come from object-oriented programming have direct representation in F-logic; other, secondary aspects of this paradigm are easily modeled as well. The paper also discusses semantic issues pertaining to programming with a deductive object-oriented language based on a subset of F-logic.

In this chapter, we summarize the research on querying inconsistent databases we have been conducting over the last five years. The formal framework we have used is based on two concepts: repair and consistent query answer. We describe different approaches to the issue of computing consistent query answers: query transformation, logic programming, inference in annotated logics, and specialized algorithms. We also characterize the computational complexity of this problem. Finally, we discuss related research in artificial intelligence, databases, and logic programming.

We describe a novel logic, called HiLog, and show that it provides a more suitable basis for logic programming than does traditional predicate logic. HiLog has a higher-order syntax and allows arbitrary terms to appear in places where predicates, functions and atomic formulas occur in predicate calculus. But its semantics is first-order and admits a sound and complete proof procedure. Applications of HiLog are discussed, including DCG grammars, higher-order and modular logic programming, and deductive databases.

Annotated logics were introduced in [43] and later studied in [5, 7, 31, 32]. In [31], annotations were extended to allow variables and functions, and it was argued that such logics can be used to provide a formal semantics for rule-based expert systems with uncertainty. In this paper we continue to investigate the power of this approach. First, we introduce a new semantics for such programs based on ideals of lattices. Subsequently, some proposals for multivalued logic programming [5, 7, 32, 47, 40, 18] as well as some formalisms for temporal reasoning [1, 3, 42] are shown to fit into this framework. As an interesting by-product of this investigation, we obtain a new result concerning multivalued logic programming: a model theory for Fitting's bilattice-based logic programming, which until now has not been characterized model-theoretically. This is accompanied by a corresponding proof theory. 1 Introduction Large knowledge bases can be inconsistent in many ways. Nevertheless, certain...

Knowledge-base (KB) systems must typically deal with imperfection in knowledge, e.g. in the form of imcompleteness, inconsistency, uncertainty, to name a few. Currently KB system development is mainly based on the expert system technology. Expert systems, through their support for rule-based programming, uncertainty, etc., offer a convenient framework for KB system development. But they require the user to be well versed with the low level details of system implementation. The manner in which uncertainty is handled has little mathematical basis. There is no decent notion of query optimization, forcing the user to take the responsibility for an efficient implementation of the KB system. We contend KB system development can and should take advantage of the deductive database technology, which overcomes most of the above limitations. An important problem here is to extend deductive databases into providing a systematic basis for rule-based programming with imperfect knowledge. In this paper, we are interested in an exension handling probabilistic knowledge.

In his well-known paper "How computer should think" ([Be77b]) Belnap argues that four valued semantics is a very suitable setting for computerized reasoning. In this paper we vindicate this thesis by showing that the logical role that the four-valued structure has among Ginsberg's well-known bilattices is similar to the role that the two-valued algebra has among Boolean algebras. Specifically, we provide several theorems that show that the most useful bilatticevalued logics can actually be characterized as four-valued inference relations. In addition, we compare the use of three-valued logics with the use of four-valued logics, and show that at least for the task of handling inconsistent or uncertain information, the comparison is in favor of the latter. Keyworkds: Bilattices, Paraconsistency, Multiple-valued systems, Preferential logics, Reasoning. 1 Introduction In [Be77a, Be77b] Belnap introduced a logic intended to deal in a useful way with inconsistent and incomplete information....

. The notion of bilattice was introduced by Ginsberg, and further examined by Fitting, as a general framework for many applications. In the present paper we develop proof systems, which correspond to bilattices in an essential way. For this goal we introduce the notion of logical bilattices. We also show how they can be used for efficient inferences from possibly inconsistent data. For this we incorporate certain ideas of Kifer and Lozinskii, which happen to suit well the context of our work. The outcome are paraconsistent logics with a lot of desirable properties 1 . 1. Introduction When using multiple-valued logics, it is usual to order the truth values in a lattice structure. In most cases such a partial order intuitively reflects differences in the "measure of truth" that the lattice elements are supposed to represent. There exist, however, other intuitive criteria of ordering that might be useful. Another reasonable ordering might reflect, for example, differences in the amoun...

Abstract. Flora-2 is a rule-based object-oriented knowledge base system designed for a variety of automated tasks on the Semantic Web, ranging from meta-data management to information integration to intelligent agents. The Flora-2 system integrates F-logic, HiLog, and Transaction Logic into a coherent knowledge representation and inference language. The result is a flexible and natural framework that combines rule-based and object-oriented paradigms. This paper discusses the principles underlying the design of the Flora-2 system and describes its salient features, including meta-programming, reification, logical database updates, encapsulation, and support for dynamic modules. 1

Numerous frameworks have been proposed in recent years for deductive databases with uncertainty. These frameworks differ in (i) their underlying notion of uncertainty, (ii) the way in which uncertainties are manipulated, and (iii) the way in which uncertainty is associated with the facts and rules of a program. On the basis of (iii), these frameworks can be classified into implication based (IB) and annotation based (AB) frameworks. In this paper, we develop a generic framework called the parametric framework as a unifying umbrella for IB frameworks. We develop the declarative, fixpoint, and proof-theoretic semantics of programs in the parametric framework and show their equivalence. Using this framework as a basis, we study the query optimization problem of containment of conjunctive queries in this framework, and establish necessary and sufficient conditions for containment for several classes of parametric conjunctive queries. Our results yield tools for use in the query optimization for large classes of query programs in IB deductive databases with uncertainty.

: We propose an extension of classical predicate calculus, called Transaction Logic, which provides a logical foundation for the phenomenon of state changes in logic programs and databases. Transaction Logic comes with a natural model theory and a sound and complete proof theory. The proof theory not only verifies programs, but also executes them, which makes this logic an ideal tool for declarative programming of database transactions and state-modifying logic programs. The semantics of Transaction Logic leads naturally to features whose amalgamation in a single logic has proved elusive in the past. These features include hypothetical and committed updates, dynamic constraints on transaction execution, non-determinism, and bulk updates. Finally, Transaction Logic holds promise as a logical model of hitherto non-logical phenomena, including so-called procedural knowledge in AI, and the behavior of object-oriented databases, especially methods with side effects. This paper presents the...